Guard for drawers



Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUARD FOR DRAWERSApplication April 5,1937, Serial No. 135,162

2 Claims.

This invention relates to guards for drawers of desks, tables and likedevices and has for the primary object the provision of an efficient andinexpensive guard which may be easily and 5 quickly adapted to a drawerand which will maintain papers and the like in the drawer from creepingand working over the rear end of the drawer and becoming lodged betweenthe latter and the drawer support and which will automatically swingoutwardly of the drawer when the latter is moved to open position topermit the contents of the drawer to be easily removed and placedtherein.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, 20 reference is to be hadto the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1is a top plan view illustrating a drawer and its support equipped with aguard constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the drawer in an openposition and the guard automatically assuming a position extending out-30 wardly of the drawer.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the drawer in an openposition and the guard depressed at its hinged end to permit thewithdrawal of the drawer entirely from its support.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the guardpassing the support during the withdrawal of the drawer from the sup- 4port.

Figure '7 is a perspective view illustrating the guard.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a spring and itsconnection to the guard.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a drawersupport which may be in the form of a desk, table or like device andwhich slidably receives a drawer 2. When an excessive amount of papersand the like is placed in the drawer they frequently shift by draggingagainst the drawer support when opening and closing the drawer bringingabout a movement of said papers and like devices over the rear end ofthe drawer and becoming wedged between the latter and the drawersupport. The drawer frequently becomes wedged from the jamming of thecontents between itself and the drawer support and to eliminate thistrouble, my invention in the form of a guard is adapted to the drawerand is spring influenced to place suificient pressure in a downwarddirection on the contents of the drawer to prevent the contents fromengaging with the drawer support during the opening and closing of thedrawer.

The guard consists of a skeleton frame 3 having a width slightly lessthan the width of the drawer and of a length to extend over two-thirdsof the drawer length. Depending portions 4 are formed on one end of theframe while the opposite end of the frame is equipped with dependingelongated eyes to receive a pivot rod 6 fitted in openings provided inopposite sides of the drawer adjacent the rear end thereof. Formed onthe rear end of the guard are depending arms 1 and upwardly andforwardly curved trip portions 8. The arms 1 terminate in eyes 9 toreceive a tie rod I0. The tie rod may be suitably fixed in the eyes andintermediate its ends is provided with an offset H to which is connecteda coil spring I2. The coil spring is also connected on the rear wall ofthe drawer. The spring acts to urge the depending portions 4 of theframe into engagement with the contents of the drawer. The pressureapplied to the contents will keep the latter well within the verticalwalls of the drawer.

The drawer support is provided at its mouth with a transversely arrangedreinforcing stripi3 overlying the upper edge of the drawer. This stripwhen my invention is adapted to a drawer acts as a stop to be engaged bythe trip portions 8 when the drawer reaches a substantially full openposition bringing about an upward swinging movement of the frame toassume a position, as shown in Figure 3, so that the contents of thedrawer is free of engagement by said frame or its depending portions 4whereby the contents can be either examined, removed and replaced in thedrawer. Should it be desired to withdraw the drawer entirely from thedrawer support, pressure is placed on the frame adjacent its rear endwhich brings about a lowering of the rear end permitted by the eyes 5 sothat the trip portions 8 will clear the stop strip I3 when the drawer ispassed entirely from the drawer support.

The curvature of the trip portions 8, as shown in the drawing willpermit the replacing of the drawer in the drawer support without manualpressure being placed on the frame 3. The

curved faces of the trip portions 8 contacting the stop strip upon itsouter lower edge will bring about a depressing of the hinged end of theframe a sufficient distance to permit the trip portions to pass underthe stop strip I3.

What is claimed is:

l. A guard for drawers comprising a skeleton frame having a widthslightly less than the width of a drawer and a length greater thantwo-thirds of the length of the drawer, depending portions at one end ofsaid frame, elongated depending eyes at the other end of said frame, ashaft extending freely through said eyes and connected to opposite sidesof the drawer for hingedly and slidably connecting the frame on thedrawer, spring means acting on the hinged end of the frame for urgingthe depending portions against the contents of the drawer.

2. A guard for drawers comprising a frame, depending portions at one endof said frame, depending eyes at the other end of said frame, a shaftextending freely through said eyes and connected to opposite sides ofthe drawer for hingedly and slidably connecting the frame on GEORGEROBERT ONEAL.

